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Best Price for Good Whale Watching Tour in ISP


emory2001
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We're trying to go all out and do a lot of great excursions, but also trying to trim costs a bit because this is an expensive trip; so I'm booking most of our tours with independent operators (since the ports are home country for us and I've cruised a lot and occasionally booked an independent tour, I'm not worried about not booking through the cruise line). I've seen good things about Harv's, Glacier Wind, Icy Strait Whale Adventures and Misty Bay Lodge. We will have 3 adults and 2 preteens. Is there a tour operator known for a quality tour at lower price? All we need is something like a 2 hour tour and see whales, if they even have any tours that short, but nothing all day. Thanks

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We're trying to go all out and do a lot of great excursions, but also trying to trim costs a bit because this is an expensive trip; so I'm booking most of our tours with independent operators (since the ports are home country for us and I've cruised a lot and occasionally booked an independent tour, I'm not worried about not booking through the cruise line). I've seen good things about Harv's, Glacier Wind, Icy Strait Whale Adventures and Misty Bay Lodge. We will have 3 adults and 2 preteens. Is there a tour operator known for a quality tour at lower price? All we need is something like a 2 hour tour and see whales, if they even have any tours that short, but nothing all day. Thanks

 

I cannot comment on what you consider to be a lower price, I think they all are a very similar price. However, I can thoroughly recommend Glacier Wind Charters. Shawn and Teresa are just wonderful and it will be a great experience.

 

Also, if you mean Harv and Marv's, they are in Juneau, not ISP :)

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We're trying to go all out and do a lot of great excursions, but also trying to trim costs a bit because this is an expensive trip; so I'm booking most of our tours with independent operators (since the ports are home country for us and I've cruised a lot and occasionally booked an independent tour, I'm not worried about not booking through the cruise line). I've seen good things about Harv's, Glacier Wind, Icy Strait Whale Adventures and Misty Bay Lodge. We will have 3 adults and 2 preteens. Is there a tour operator known for a quality tour at lower price? All we need is something like a 2 hour tour and see whales, if they even have any tours that short, but nothing all day. Thanks

 

Always good to see fellow Emory alums. :cool:

 

Glacier Wind isn't cheap, but you would probably get a boat to yourselves at $160 per person. Their boat only hold six passengers. Unless someone books without others, you will probably get your own private tour. Something to be said for that. We have four on ours for next June and they already found a couple to fill our boat. You may want to book fast if you choose them.

 

We are picking and choosing carefully where we're spending good money on excursions.

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`Frankly, a 2 hour tour is not going to be "quality" for whale watching, Time is what is the most important. The longer you are out, the more opportunity. I am very picky about my vendors, with price not being my priority, but I went out three times in Hoonah this year. (added my last trip, only booking the cruise a few days prior and he had space :) ) Vastly different sightings and distances between the 3 trips. You can be in transit for an hour just getting to feeding areas, a 2 hour tour isn't enough time.

 

I have chartered, and many times it doesn't work out cheaper, so you can look into that route, with just a 2 hour boat ride and you may see whales.

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Thanks everyone. Most of them I'm seeing are $160 pp and about 3.5 hours, and that's fine. The time isn't an issue other than I wasn't wanting to pay more for an all day tour where my kids would get tired anyway. Price isn't a huge issue or we wouldn't be taking this trip, but with 4 ports and excursions at each port running $800+ for five people, plus the cruise, Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, and first class airfare from fully the opposite end of the country, I'm open to saving money when it's easy to do something different.

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